Dumplings were a special occasion food when I was growing up. My mother made stewed chicken and fluffy dumplings only once or twice a year.

It's a tradition I've adopted. But I've discovered there's another world of dumplings.

The common thread of dumplings: loosely shaped balls of dough are dropped into liquids such as soups and stews, according to "The Food Encyclopedia" by Jacques L. Rolland and Carol Sherman (Robert Rose, $49.95). For the semolina dumpling, the hot liquid is the sugar water.

(The Food Encyclopedia also notes two other types of dumplings: a dough-wrapped parcel of savory filling common in Asian cuisine, which is boiled separately and added to soups. There is also the baked dessert made by wrapping fruit in a sweet pastry dough.)

Making fluffy dumplings whether they are for entrees or for desserts is a technique that shouldn't be lost.

My mother made her fluffy dumplings with Bisquick; my mother-in-law makes hers from scratch using flour, one egg or two egg whites, baking powder, salt, and milk. Both mixed the batter and dropped it into a gently boiling pot of stewed chicken, whole pieces of chicken on the bone. It's a wonderful winter meal, especially when a household is battling flu and colds.

The chicken cooks in 40 minutes; the dumplings cook in 20 more minutes (10 minutes with the lid off and 10 minutes with the lid on was my mother's method; 20 minutes with the lid on is my mother-in-law's method for a fluffy dumpling).

These old-fashioned recipes are being updated with fresh herbs such as Chicken with Dill Dumplings from "American Regional Cuisine 2nd Edition" by The Art Institutes (Wiley, $45).

Cookbook author Dawn Hall has adapted dumplings to several recipes in her latest cookbook, "Busy People's Super Simple 30-Minute Menus" (Thomas Nelson, $18.99). "With dumplings you are able to take an entree to another level," she told me in a phone interview.

For Chili Dog Chili with Whole Wheat Corn Bread Dumplings, she used corn muffin mix plus two tablespoons whole wheat flour. "The whole wheat flour brought a denser dumpling," she said. "I used egg whites in the recipe to eliminate cholesterol, but you can use a whole egg."

She uses mixes to keep the number of ingredients in the recipes down to seven, which is a "protocol" of her cookbooks. "My recipes are always low fat," she said.

"Dumplings are a comfort food," said Hall, whose latest cookbook has time-lined instructions for the entire meal. "They're homey and old-fashioned."

I think that dumplings need to be served as soon as they are ready, although my husband's grandmother always held the dumplings in a warm oven as she made batch after batch, so there would be enough to serve everyone at the table.

Old-fashioned dumplings are not likely to be found on restaurant menus, but that doesn't mean professional chefs don't make them at home.

High-profile chef Jamie Oliver (a.k.a. The Naked Chef) includes dumplings in recipes. "In Cook with Jamie" (Hyperion, $37), The Best Dumplings Ever are made with self-rising flour and paired with rabbit stew. His book is designed to make the home cook a better cook.

Enough said: One way to be a better cook is with dumplings:

Chicken with Dill Dumplings

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dill, chopped

1/2 cup milk

Cooked whole chicken pieces in broth, heated to boiling

Cook's note: Cook a whole chicken (cut in pieces) covered with water in 6-quart pot seasoned with half onion (sliced) and 2 stalks of celery, salt, and pepper and other herbs as desired.

Mix ingredients together to form a thick batter. Drop a tablespoon at a time into simmering chicken. Cover tightly and cook chicken and dumplings an additional 20 minutes without removing cover. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Source: American Regional Cuisine Second Edition

Chili Dog Chili with Whole Wheat Corn Bread Dumplings

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced chili-style tomatoes

1 15-ounce can spicy chili beans with seasoning

1 teaspoon Splenda (or 1 teaspoon sugar)

1 14-ounce package fat-free hot dogs, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Whole Wheat Corn Bread Dumplings:

1 8.5 ounce box corn muffin mix

2 egg whites

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

Cook's note: You can use the dumplings with this quick chili recipe or use your own chili recipe if desired.

Start chili. In a 12-inch nonstick saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cans diced chili-style tomatoes, 1 can spicy chili beans, 1 teaspoon Splenda or sugar, and 1 package hot dogs (cut into pieces). Bring to a low boil.

Start dumpling batter. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 box corn muffin mix, 2 egg whites, 1/3 cup water and 2 tablespoons flour until well mixed.

Carefully drop dumpling batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into the low boiling chili. Cover and cook at a low boil for 10 minutes.

To serve, put the chili in a serving bowl on a hot pad and place on the dinner table.

Yield: 7 servings (1 cup each)

Source: Busy People's Super Simple 30-Minute Menus